Description

ERSCOR50 is a constructed variable that assigns a measure of the median earned income for each occupation using the 1950 occupational classification scheme available in the OCC1950 variable.

In order to maximize comparability over time, the median earned income reported in ERSCOR50 is standardized as a "z-score" and then converted to a percentile rank. ERSCOR50 reports the percentage of persons in occupations having lower standardized median earnings than the respondent's occupation. The scores were based on the earnings levels of the employed civilian labor force aged 16 and above, excluding persons who did not work in the past one year.

ERSCOR50 values were created in two steps. The first step was to derive a standardized z-score for earnings in each occupational category. These scores indicated the number of standard deviations by which each occupational category differed from the mean earnings of all occupations. The second step in creating ERSCOR50 was to convert these standardized z-scores to a percentile rank. For example, the median earned income for occupation category 625 (Bus drivers) was $3,050 in 1950. This occupational category's ERSCORE50 value of 64 indicates that 64% of workers are in occupations having lower standardized median earned incomes than that of bus drivers.

From 1990 onward, these calculations rely in the INCEARN variable. From 1950 to 1980, these calculations rely on the sum of the variables specified below:

ERSCOR50 used year specific data to calculate scores for 1950 onward. However as the earnings and education data were not available for pre-1950 censuses, the 1950's ERSCOR50 scores are assigned for cases in pre-1950 censuses.

The OCC1950 categories 12-29 (professors and instructors) were treated as one single category in the process of deriving ERSCOR50, since there were not enough cases to be kept as separate categories. All these occupational categories have the same value of ERSCOR50.

Alternative measures of occupational standing measures that are based on OCC1950 are available in EDSCOR50, NPBOSS50, OCCSCORE, PRESGL, and SEI. For information on the construction of OCC1950 and occupational standing measures, see "Integrated Occupation and Industry Codes and Occupational Standing Variables in the IPUMS."

User caution: There is significant debate about the usefulness of composite measures of occupational standing (in the IPUMS, these variables include SEI, HWSEI, NPBOSS50, and NPBOSS90). We strongly urge researchers to read our user note on this issue and to familiarize themselves with the debates surrounding the use of these variables.

ERSCOR50 is a constructed 4-digit numeric variable which assigns a measure of the median earned income for each occupation using the 1950 occupational classification scheme available in the OCC1950 variable. To maximize comparability over time, the median earned income reported in ERSCOR50 is standardized as a "z-score" and then converted to a percentile rank. ERSCOR50 reports the percentage of persons in occupations having lower standardized median earnings than the respondent's occupation. The scores were based on the earnings levels of the employed civilian labor force aged 16 and above, excluding persons who did not work in the past one year. ERSCOR50 has one implied decimal. For example, an ERSCOR50 value of 0061 should be interpreted as 6.1. This division is performed automatically in the extract setup files. ERSCOR50 specific variable codes for missing, edited, or unidentified observations, observations not applicable (N/A), observations not in universe (NIU), top and bottom value coding, etc. are provided below if applicable by Census year (and data sample if specified).

User Note: There is significant debate about the usefulness of composite measures of occupational standing (in the IPUMS, these variables include SEI, HWSEI, NPBOSS50, and NPBOSS90). We strongly urge researchers to read our user note on this issue and to familiarize themselves with the debates surrounding the use of these variables.

ERSCOR50 Specific Variable Codes
9999 = N/A

Comparability

This variable is comparable across years.

ERSCOR90 offers a similar variable that is based on the occupational classification scheme available in OCC1990.

OCCSCORE is another OCC1950 based occupational economic variable. The difference between ERSCOR50 and OCCSCORE is that OCCSCORE values for all available census years are based on income values from 1950. In ERSCOR50, each occupation's median earnings value changes from year to year, based on the changing incomes of persons in that occupation.

Persons under age 16 were not included in the calculation of ERSCOR50 values in any year. Prior to 1980, when occupational information was collected for some persons under age 16, we have assigned ERSCOR50 values to all workers, even though the incomes of those under age 16 were not included in the construction of the variable.

Universe

Availability

• 2023: All samples
• 2022: All samples
• 2021: All samples
• 2020: All samples
• 2019: All samples
• 2018: All samples
• 2017: All samples
• 2016: All samples
• 2015: All samples
• 2014: All samples
• 2013: All samples
• 2012: All samples
• 2011: All samples
• 2010: ACS; ACS 3yr; ACS 5yr
• 2009: All samples
• 2008: All samples
• 2007: All samples
• 2006: All samples
• 2005: All samples
• 2004: All samples
• 2003: All samples
• 2002: All samples
• 2001: All samples
• 2000: All samples
• 1990: All samples
• 1980: All samples
• 1970: All samples
• 1960: All samples
• 1950: All samples
• 1940: All samples
• 1930: All samples
• 1920: All samples
• 1910: All samples
• 1900: All samples
• 1880: All samples
• 1870: All samples
• 1860: All samples
• 1850: All samples

• 2023: --
• 2022: --
• 2021: --
• 2020: --
• 2019: --
• 2018: --
• 2017: --
• 2016: --
• 2015: --
• 2014: --
• 2013: --
• 2012: --
• 2011: --
• 2010: --
• 2009: --
• 2008: --
• 2007: --
• 2006: --
• 2005: --
• 2000: --
• 1990: --
• 1980: --
• 1970: --
• 1930: --
• 1920: --
• 1910: --

Flags

Editing Procedure

There is no editing procedure available for this variable.